Today, the Punjab Cabinet meeting took place under the leadership of Bhagwant Singh Mann. Many big decisions took place during this cabinet meeting. After the meeting was concluded the Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema briefed the media about the decisions taken.
The cabinet has taken a big step to delegate the authority of allocating land for public institutions to the district level. Under Section 4 of the Punjab Management and Transfer of Municipalities Act 2020 when the urban land belonging a municipal committee were transferred from one department to any other body, there were various hurdles. Now, under the new system, a committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner (DC) would be given all the authority in this regard. The committee will lay down the terms and conditions for lease, sale and auction of the land. Earlier, this process used to take months and this move aims to reduce the unwanted delays.
Under the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act (PAPRA Act) in Punjab, a colonizer was initially granted a five-year approval for their project. Later, they could extend the time annually by paying a fee of Rs 10,000 per acre. Now, a major change has been made in this regard. The government has now decided to grant a onetime three-year extension with a fee of Rs 25,000 per acre. The government aims to ensure that the projects are completed on time, so that people do not face any difficulties.
Earlier, during e-auction for FAR, a 50% charge was levied, that means anybody wishing to increase the floor area had to pay a 50% charge. Now a significant reduction has been made in this regard. The charges are now reduced from 50% to only 25%, with an aim that it will significantly benefit the public.
The Civil Hospital Badal in Muktsar Sahib, District Hospital Khadur Sahib (Tarn Taran district), CHC Jalalabad (Fazilka district), and Tertiary Care Fazilka in Punjab have now been brought under the purview of Baba Farid University. This move aims to provide better treatment and services to the public, previously, these hospitals were run by the Punjab government.
The minister informs that the project has been progressing very well as of now, currently there are 635 yoga trainers that are conducting classes across the state. Now a decision is taken to hire another new 1000 yoga trainers, who will initially undergo training in the first 8 months during which they would be given a stipend of Rs 8,000. Later, when their training would be complete and their work begins, they would be given a salary of Rs 25,000 per month. This move aims to push the towards a better and healthier lifestyle.
The eligibility criteria for the Punjab Civil Services has also been finalized during the cabinet meet. It has been made clear that the all the documentation required must be completed by the last date of the submitting application. Earlier, this issue had caused various legal disputes.
The service rules for the Superintendents in the Punjab Excise and Taxation Department have now been approved. The Punjab government has also fixed the rate for farmers by approving the now the private sugar mills will pay sugarcane farmers Rs 68.50 per quintal. Another major horticulture decision has also been taken; a project with Japan has been approved. As of now the area under horticulture is 6% but the government aims to make it 15% in the coming 10 years.
Along with this approval has been given to stage ‘Hamare Ram’ show based on the life of lord Ram, shows will be held in 40 major cities of the state. It is expected that these plays will play a significant role in giving a positive direction to the lives of Punjab residents.
